Reset
by oldscout1011
Summary: In the future, Dawn encounters an Immortal and has to deal with the consequences. Followup to Off Switch. Complete
1. The Encounter

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of characters. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

A/N: Reset takes place in the future after all of my other current stories. To know how I created the relationships mentioned, read the short **The Slayer and the Smurf** plus **Judge, Jury**.. and of course **Off Switch** which this is a followup to. Warning: I started this story intending it to be a one shot but it sort of took on a life of its own and became a little...odd. I hope you enjoy.  
OldScout.

**Reset  
"The Encounter"  
By OldScout**

The smells from the street vendors; the sweet aromas of spices, breads, and meats drifted up and beckoned like a siren's song. Dawn Summers, currently known as Anne Sumpter, looked down at the souks below. The young looking woman pushed her long bangs out of her face and licked her lips at the thought of having some street food. She looked back at the Skyway she was on and started plotting her decent into old Chicago. She double checked her pocket to make sure she had the proper ID for her current persona. She wanted to get back up without a hassle. Licking her lips at the smell of a tangy barbeque that reached her, Dawn headed for the nearest down ramp.

The lower walkways of the Skyway had been the first phase of building what was now considered New Chicago, directly over what came to be referred to as Old Chicago. It was of course not originally planned that way. The Skyway system was originally planned to help reduce traffic on the congested city streets by making it more convenient to walk safely between office buildings. As the city grew and technology advanced, the old streets and buildings below crumbled as the new monoliths were built above them.

Dawn made her way down to Old Chicago picking her way through the maze of corridors, walkways, stairs and escalators. She held a small computer interface down in front of her, making notes, requests for reports and comments on an endless list of projects. Stopping for a second she took the time to glance at her reflection in a window. She smiled, long bangs and short hair where the current style of the under twenty five crowd. It had been a long time since she'd snuck out without her current matronly glamour. She'd almost forgotten what she looked like without it. She sniffed the air. What was that? Sesame chicken. She returned to her quest.

One more walkway and a set of stairs and her quest would be over. Dawn stopped and turned off her computer. Somebody was following her. Putting her computer away, Dawn placed a hand on the hilt of her knife, Mr. Sharpie. "I know you're there." She said conversationally. "Let's have a look at you."

A man stepped out from around a corner. He was a bit taller than Dawn, with closely cropped salt and pepper hair, a solid frame and square jaw. He let the front of his classic old style trench coat fall open as he approached. "I am Joseph Israel Miller."

"Nice to meet you, Joe." Dawn said quickly. "I can call you Joe. Can't I? It's not like we're in a professional relationship here or anything."

"I saw you. I recognized you from a long time ago in London." The man said as he stepped forward and drew a sword out from under his jacket. "It's been a long time since I've seen another."

"Whoa, wait right there." Dawn held up her hand that was not clutching the handle of her knife under her jacket. "I'm not who you think I am."

"You can't deny it." Joseph said. "One thing I've learned is to never forget a face. Now prepare to defend yourself."

"But I'm not like you." Dawn said. "Don't you feel it?"

"What?" He brought his sword forward as Dawn stepped back.

"Exactly!" Dawn tried to smile. She could defend herself against most people and had spent years training slayers, but this was a centuries old swordsman and all she had was the knife her sister had given her so many lifetimes ago. "I admit it, I'm a lot older than I look, but I'm not like you. I'm not part of the game."

"Everybody plays." Joseph replied. "It's the price you pay for your immortality."

"No, it's not." Dawn said. "I'm not one of your kind. Do you feel the quickening at all?"

Joseph looked a little confused. "No." He took a half step back.

"That's because I don't have it. I'm not quickened." Dawn stated starting to get a glimmer of hope. She wished she had her wizarding wand. She'd be able to get out of this without anybody getting hurt.

The Immortal remembered something. He'd heard once that those who were old or strong enough could learn to shield their quickening to hide from other immortals."

Dawn watched the man's eyes. Something changed. "Damn."

Joseph swung so fast Dawn barely had time to duck and pull her knife. Only her experience sparring with slayers gave her the skill and timing she needed to get under the Immortal's swing and stab the man in the back. Dawn stumbled away and tried to run down the alley as pain surged through her side. Joseph had reversed his swing and caught her side as she stabbed him. She made about five steps then all the strength left her legs and pain exploded through her body. She looked down to see his sword protruding from her stomach. Screaming as pain seared through her very being she fell forward sliding off the blade.

It took all of her remaining energy to turn and look at the Immortal, Joseph Israel Miller, standing above her. "You stupid shit." She choked through the haze of pain and blood pouring from her mouth. "You've signed your own death warrant."

"There can be only one." Joseph proclaimed as he prepared to take the head of the first Immortal he'd found in over a decade.

"Yea, good luck with that." Dawn spat more blood on the ground, then nothing.

Joseph pulled the fine old knife out of his back and prepared for what had to be a powerful quickening. He held out his arms and waited. Nothing. He looked at the headless body lying in a pool of blood at his feet. Could it be? Did he just kill somebody who wasn't part of the game? He looked at the remains of the young woman. His stomach clenched and he turned and lost his lunch. Sesame Chicken.

Joseph Miller wiped off the girl's knife and put it in his belt. He took one more look at the remains of the attractive young woman and limped out of the alley leaving the body where it fell.

**To be continued...**


	2. The Return

See chapter 1 for general disclaimers

**Reset  
"The Return"  
by OldScout**

Three days later a small group of people stood in the chapel in the basement of the WCI North American headquarters in New Chicago. It was an unofficial service. These people knew what was supposed to happen though some didn't believe. The eldest of the group, Julie Maria Sumpter-Harrington, looked at the linen wrapped body and shook her head. "We aren't supposed to have a ceremony."

"But what if it isn't true, mom?" A younger man standing next to her asked. "We can't not say goodbye." He put his arm around his wife Ellen as she walked up. For her sake, he tried to sound optimistic. "Wow long will it be?"

"It's always different, William." Julia said. "The wik says it's been as little as ten days to over a year. But it always happens."

"I can't believe this." Ellen said through tears. "She was the nicest woman I knew and we are not having a ceremony. We should at least have some testimonials or something. She was your grandmother." Ellen spoke directly to her husband. "And you're barely concerned that she was murdered by one of those maniac immortals."

"I told you why." William said. "Just wait and see."

"I've seen a lot of things." Ellen replied. "But this is hard to believe. None of you were around the last time it supposedly happened. How can you be so sure?"

Julia put a comforting hand on her daughter in-law. Ellen, dear, you have to believe. I do. She assured me it would happen, I've seen the records. It's true, Father saw it and others have as well. Now, let's be about it." With that, Julia pushed a button and the linen covered body with its carefully positioned and covered head slid into the crematorium.

Ellen leaned into her husband's shoulder and wept as the small chapel was filled with the roar of the gas powered flames.

"- -"

One hundred and forty four days after the non ceremony in New Chicago, a fourteen year old girl with long, straight brown hair; wearing a pink t-shirt and light blue jeans appeared ten feet over Sunnydale Lagoon. She screamed as she fell into the water. "Mom!"

Some how, she didn't know how, she just knew, that this was Buffy's fault. Dawn plodded along the well manicured walking path next to the lake she'd just climbed out of. Shivering, she hugged her arms close and walked past the strangely dressed people she occasionally passed on the path. This had to be Buffy's fault it was some stupid 'go jump in the lake' wish or something. Mom was so going to kick Buffy's ass for this.

No, that wasn't right. Dawn looked out at the lake. There was something familiar about it, something about the hills around it. Why wasn't mom going to be mad at Buffy for dumping her in the lake? She sat on a bench, tears running down her dirty face. Something was wrong, her mother and her sister where gone, long gone.

"Excuse me." A friendly woman's voice said from behind Dawn. "Young lady, are you alright?"

Dawn looked at the woman. She was middle aged, lines starting to form at the corners of her eyes, she had curly blonde hair cut short with long bangs. She's too old for that hair style was Dawn's first thought.

"Do you need help?" The woman asked. "My God, dear, you're soaked. Did you fall in the lagoon?"

"You could say that." Dawn replied.

"Where's your family?"

"I don't know." Dawn motioned toward the lagoon. "Out there I think."

"Are they on a boat?" The woman continued. "Did you fall out?"

"I don't know." Dawn murmured. "Where am I?"

"You're on the walking path, south of the lagoon." She held her hand out to Dawn. "Come on, let's get you to the reception center and get you cleaned up and dried off. Maybe they'll be able to find your parents."

Dawn took the offered hand and stood up. "Lagoon. What lagoon?"

"This is the Sunnydale Lagoon." The woman said.

"But Sunnydale doesn't have…" An image came to her, more a memory, of the road collapsing behind them as they raced out of town. "Oh." She started to shake and felt an arm around her as her knees got weak.

"Are you all alright? Should I call a medic?"

"No I'm alright." Dawn straightened out and picked up her pace a bit. She continued to hug herself as they approached a large reception center.

"- -"

Dawn sat in a corner of the small reception center lounge. She really hadn't paid much attention to what was happening around her. She now wore a bright yellow thin sweatshirt over a matching bright yellow t shirt. The woman had bought both for her at the gift shop. The sweat shirt and t-shirt both featured a goofy looking cartoon dinosaur or something with the slogan "Come meet Sunny at Sunnydale Lagoon." She also wore a pair of sweat pants one of the clerks pulled out of the lost and found. There was now an effort underway to find her family. Of course there was nobody to find. That much she knew or remembered or something.

After finally calming down a bit, Dawn wiped the last round of tears from her eyes and cheeks and started looking around the lounge. Something caught her eye. It looked like some kind of computer interface mounted to the wall. She watched as somebody used one to make a video call. They had asked for names of people to contact, but the large body of water a hundred meters away told her nobody was home. Now she looked at the Vid. A vague memory whispered in the back of her mind. She walked over and examined it.

The Vid had several methods of access; a card wave, an access code and bio metrics. Dawn looked at the biometrics and ran her finger down the main interface causing a new panel to slide out. Dawn placed her palm on the panel making it glow slightly and withdraw back into the wall. A word appeared to float to the surface of the monitor, like a response floating up in the old Magic Eight Ball. "Acknowledged."

Tired of the lounge, Dawn started exploring the center. There were displays and photographs illustrating the Sunnydale subsidence. She'd been on the last bus out, that much she remembered, but not much else. It was like a dream coming back one image at a time. Dawn stopped when she came to a large photograph on the wall. She looked at the images of her sister and friends and people she didn't know. Tears came back as she saw how much older they all looked. Even she was in the group only older and taller than Buffy. She smiled at the thought. That always bugged Buffy.

Next she looked at Xander. What happened to his eye? She traced the tips of her fingers along his face. God, he always hated that patch but he never let anyone know. In public it was a war wound, a red badge of courage, he wore it with pride. But in private, her dear sweet husband dreamed of having his eye back.

Dawn stumbled back. Husband? She was only fourteen, she'd never been married. When was that picture taken? She didn't remember it. It was right after the battle with the First when the town collapsed. Dawn's head started to spin.

"Hey mom!" A little girl near Dawn yelled. "She looks just like that girl in the picture."

"I'm so sorry." The girl's mother said seeing the upset look on Dawn's face. She looked at Dawn again. "But you do look a lot like her."

Dawn ran from the display hall back to the lounge. She returned to her chair and grabbed the towel she'd used to dry off with earlier. She buried her face between her knees and began to cry.

She had no idea how long she sat there. She was all cried out now as she rocked back and fourth with her legs still folded up in front of her and her face buried between her knees. She was waiting, she didn't know who for but she was sure somebody would come; eventually.

"Excuse me." A young female voice said from next to Dawn.

"What?" Dawn didn't look up she didn't want to admit her face was still red from crying like a baby.

"Are you Dawn?"

Wiping her face as she looked up, Dawn looked at the new comer. She was a little taller than Dawn, had a solid build, shoulder length brown hair pulled back in a tight braid and she appeared to be standing at parade rest. Great, a teenage female Riley Finn. "Who are you?"

"I'm Luv Gordon." The girl said. "Are you Dawn?"

"Yes." Dawn started to unfold herself from the chair. Luv offered her a hand and effortlessly pulled her to her feet.

"I was told to find you here and take you to New Chicago." Luv stated then mumbled. "As if I didn't have anything better to do."

"I'm sorry to be an inconvenience." Dawn wiped her nose with the back of her hand and looked the other girl in the eyes. "If you're too busy lifting weights or something, I'm sure somebody else could be found."

Luv Gordon bristled. "I am quite capable." She looked at Dawn's pile of damp clothes. "Grab your stuff, let's go."

"Why Chicago?" Dawn asked as they headed out of the lounge.

"Because that's where Head Quarters is."

"Oh." Dawn rolled her clothes into a bundle and followed Luv through the reception center and out a different door than she'd come in. Outside something caught her attention. A twelve foot tall black granite obelisk stood close to the water. "What's that?" Dawn asked as she veered away from Luv to inspect the thing.

"It's the monument." Luv tried extremely hard not to snap at this girl, Dawn. But she was acting like some scatter brained five year old. If she was involved with the Council in some bizarre way, she should have known why they were going to New Chicago. Now she was acting like she'd never heard of the monument. Everybody knew about the monument.

All four sides were etched with the epitaph "They saved the world, a lot." Seeing the inscription, Dawn dropped her clothes and approached the pillar of black stone. Hundreds of names where carved in the granite. She traced her finger tips along the edges of some unfamiliar names until she spotted some she knew. Willow was there and Kennedy. She found Giles whose name was marked with a star just like Willow's. She stopped and stared at Buffy Anne Summers and nearby, her own, marked with a star. "That was the first time I reset my identity." Dawn thought. Suddenly her knees got weak and she dropped forward onto the base. It was all she could do not to start crying again.

"Do you need help?" Luv asked not bothering to hide her exasperated tone.

"No." Dawn said. "Just give me a few minutes." She began to circle the monument again. She was studying the names and trying to place meaning to so many lives. Some she knew intuitively, like she'd never forget her sister's name or her mother's names. She stared at Reginald David Harris with a star. She'd never seen the name before but somehow she knew he was family

"Luv Gordon, what brings you here?" A man's voice asked from behind the young woman patiently waiting for her charge. "They didn't spot Sunny again did they?"

"Nope. No aquatic wild life." Luv said as she turned slightly to look at her visitor; a tall man in his early thirties, he had closely cut hair and a small goatee but no mustache. "So Jackson, what brings you out here?"

"I got word you'd been pulled out of school on an emergency. Figured I come out and see if you needed any help."

"Help?" Luv looked at the girl, Dawn, who'd been staring at the monument. "I was told to indulge her before taking her to New Chicago. I am indulging."

Jackson looked at the young girl with totally out of style long straight hair. "Ah, Luv, did they tell you who she is?"

"Nope. Just said to get myself down here asap, pickup her up and get her to New Chicago." She frowned. "And to indulge her."

"She doesn't look familiar?" Jackson asked.

Luv shook her head. "Nope."

"At all?"

"Should she?"

Jackson smiled. "History's never been one of your stronger suits has it?"

"I don't care what's behind me." Luv shrugged. "Unless it's close enough to kill."

"Do you mind if I talk to her?"

"Be my guest." She grimaced. "Just don't make her cry again."

"Trust me. That's the last thing I want to do." Jackson walked forward, picking up Dawn's clothes as he went. "Hi there." He greeted the girl as he approached.

Dawn turned to the new comer. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jackson, a friend of Luv's."

"Are you her watcher?" Dawn asked very softly.

"Sometimes. Can I ask you something?"

"You just did." Dawn pointed out.

"Are you related to anybody up there?" Jackson stood next to Dawn looking at the monument.

"A few." Dawn admitted.

"Summers-Harris?"

"Sort of, I guess." Dawn whispered as she fought back her emotions.

Jackson smiled. "It's an honor to meet you. Your family usually doesn't come here." He nodded toward Luv. "You ought to get going. Luv has to be in school tomorrow." He handed Dawn her jeans and t-shirt.

"So do I." Dawn said looking out at the lagoon. "But it doesn't exist anymore."

Jackson watched the two young women leave. He'd heard a strange story once that Dawn Summers from Sunnydale was still alive. It'd been an interesting and imaginative tale but now it was one he'd never repeat. Ever.

To be continued...

" - 00 - "

The Sunnydale lagoon and the monument are taken with permission from the excelent story '**With a Star**' by DonSample

And, yes, I do allude to another crossover in this chapter, but I do not have plans to expand on it anytime soon.


	3. Homecoming

**(See chapter 1 for disclaimers.)**

**Reset  
"Homecoming"  
By OldScout**

In the centuries since the WCI was taken over by those it was supposed to be watching it had grown and diversified. Though few knew the true extent of its holdings it had become one of the largest privately owned interplanetary corporations in the league.

Officially, the WCI's corporate headquarters were in London. Unofficially and in reality the WCI was run from its North American offices in New Chicago. The two hundred and sixty floor Summers building towered above its corner of the sprawling city and the remains of the old city hidden far below. One time considered a marvel of modern engineering, the Summers tower was now considered moderately tall.

Corporate and business offices of the WCI's numerous subsidiaries filled the Summers building. Tens of thousands of people worked throughout spending years coming and going and calling it a second home never knowing that the other tenants shared the same mother company. The few aware of the unique relationship shared by the workers and residents of the Summers building reported to work on upper unofficial floors of the tower. These were the true employees of the WCI. The ones who knew what the initials stood for. Though these employees of the Watcher's Council International considered themselves the inner circle and elite of the corporation, they knew there were other progressively smaller inner circles. There was the Elite Security team said to be the corner stone of the council's original business.

When the security team members, usually dangerous looking and, oddly enough, young women, occasionally made an appearance in the offices a strange silence would settle over the area. The employees instinctively knew that all they did was in someway to support the security team.

Apart from the security team there was another inner circle. These were the people directly involved in handling the team. This inner circle was made up of Senior Watchers, researchers, administrative staff, trainers, technicians, mages, wizards, witches and others who knew about the things that went bump in the night. They were the ones who called the elite security personnel what they were, Slayers and Watchers.

Inside the circle headed by the Senior Watchers was the Council's board of directors. They were not only in charge of guiding the mega corporation known as the WCI, they were also the key decision makers guiding and molding the relatively minuscule number of Slayers at their disposal. They decided what laws and edicts of the underworld would be changed or enforced. What infractions needed attention and which emerging power players needed to be taken care of. They were the guiding hand of the council but they were not the inner core. The next inner circle was known as the Scoobies.

The Scoobies were the power brokers. They were the family and guiding influence of the WCI. Most were related to each other or to Slayers and Watchers from generations before. Several served on the Board and all held positions in other circles. They were the few who knew most of what occurred within the influence of the WCI.

Even the Scoobies were not the core of the WCI. There was one who held the keys to the entire kingdom. The top two floors of the Summers tower were the personal residence of the CEO of the WCI. It was real estate that on the open the market would sell for many millions of credits. Few outside the Scoobies even knew who the CEO was or that the top two floors of the building was their residence.

The express elevator from the lowest sub basements of the Summers tower signaled its arrival on the two hundred and sixty third floor. The grav lift elevator locked into place before opening its heavy blast doors and releasing one of the few creatures who used this particular elevator. A red skinned demon walked confidently through the hustle of the giant open floor office. People quickly moved out of the way of the large square shouldered demon as he strode down the main corridor, his battered ankle length duster flaring out behind him. He headed directly to the back offices and the main reception area of the CEO's office suite. Few paid any attention to the large demon with shaved off horns and strange under chin goatee. He'd haunted the upper floors of the tower as if he owned them for as long as anybody could remember. His name was Hellboy. The name had been a joke when he was found as an infant. It stuck

"Can I help you?" A pretty young brunet asked from her seat behind a fine old wooden reception desk. A plate on the desk informed everybody the girl's name was Syng.

"I hear she's back." Hellboy stated around the unlit cigar stub clenched between his teeth.

"She got in a few hours ago." The receptionist stated.

"Who brought her in?"

"Luv Gordon."

Hellboy raised an eye brow at the news. "You're shit'n."

"She was the only one in the vicinity."

"Great, that girl has a titanium broom handle permanently embedded up her ass."

"She's not the bad." Syng defended.

"You trained with her." Hellboy stated. "She sure as hell is that bad."

The girl shook her head. "I owe her my life.."

"Hey, Sweetie, I like your loyalty." Hellboy grinned before he headed toward the main entrance to the CEO's office suite.

"I don't know if she wants company right now." Syng said trying to head off Hellboy.

"Is her family with her?" It was more a statement than question. Hellboy knew they weren't

"Mrs. Sumpter-Harrington was in Siberia on official business when we got the signal. She'll be here in a few hours. William and Ellen were in Australia. They should be back soon as well. The others all have prior commitments. They will be here as soon as they can."

"So the answer is no." Hellboy said and continued to the office.

"She might not know you." The girl suggested to Hellboy's back.

"She always knows me." He growled back.

"- -"

Dawn sat on a giant plush leather sofa hugging her knees to her chin. She'd been here by herself for what felt like an eternity. Luv had told her this was Chicago but she'd been to Chicago with her father once and this didn't look anything like it. Then they'd landed on this massively wide and fantastically tall tower and she'd been escorted to this office. They'd waited for her to open the door by placing her hand on a panel like she'd used on that Vid. The girl out front, Syng, assured her that her family would be here soon and to let her know if she needed anything. Then they'd all left her here, alone. Somehow Dawn knew the family she was waiting for would not be Buffy or her mother, or even her father.

Dawn had explored for awhile, looking at pictures of people who looked familiar but she knew she'd never met. The oddest was a picture of her looking like she was in her sixties standing behind a just as old version of Xander. He even wore that tattered eye patch he'd been wearing in the picture at the memorial. The age thing was weird, but what was really weird, every once in a while she swore the picture moved.

For awhile Dawn had thought she'd been transported into some bizarre-o world of the future, but she seemed to know things like faint memories that told her this was her reality. She was sure she was missing something and nobody was going to tell her or they assumed she knew.

The fine wooden plank door leading to the reception area opened abruptly. A large red skinned creature wearing a long tattered brown duster stood in the door. "Hey, Half Pint, did you miss me?"

Hellboy immediately found himself with a sobbing fourteen year old clasped around him with her head buried in his chest. He patted her gently with his left hand. "Hey kid, when you get a chance I'll need to breath."

"I'm sorry." Dawn said as she backed away. Her face flushed with embarrassment and distress. "I thought I knew you."

Closing the door behind him, Hellboy stepped into the office suite. "You do, kid." He said as soothingly as he could around the cigar clamped in his mouth.

"Who are you? Do you know what's going?" Dawn asked hesitantly. She looked at this demon that was at least two feet taller then her. She didn't know why, but somehow she knew she could trust him. She watched his pointed tail whip back and fourth as he pondered her question. She knew the tail thing meant he was nervous, but she didn't know how she knew.

"I'm Hellboy. But you've always just called me Red. And yea, I know what's going." Hellboy crossed the office and looked out the window at the sprawling mega city.

"Red huh? I wonder where I came up with that." Dawn waited a few seconds. "Well?"

"What do you remember about something called The Key?"

Dawn started hugging herself again and her complexion got pasty. "Oh, no, no, no not that."

"See, kid, you do remember." Hellboy turned back to Dawn. This was always difficult. The most recent thing she remembered before falling into the lagoon was talking to her mom and sister. She could remember other things but the order was reversed. The manufactured memories where clear as day; the others, the real memories she had to dig for. It usually took a year or two for her to get her memories fully realigned.

"Did Glor…she do this to me?" Dawn dropped back to the couch. Who was Glory?

"No kid, all that played out a very long time ago." Hellboy said as soothingly as an apocalypse demon such as he could. "It's just that the energy or whatever it is you're molded from doesn't know how to be anything else but you."

Dawn looked at Hellboy. "What does that mean?" Dawn had that sinking feeling back in her stomach.

"It means." Hellboy said bluntly. "That you died a while ago and the key, not knowing what else to do with itself, reset." He knew it wasn't a really accurate description. If Illyria where here, she'd be correcting him that Dawn wasn't the key, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah, but he didn't want to get into that with her now. The details didn't really matter.

"So I grow old, die, and come back? Only since Sunnydale apparently isn't there anymore I just get dumped in the water?"

"Not exactly." Hellboy said cautiously. "It seems you don't get much older then Buffy was when you were sent to her."

"What? I'm going to get how old?"

"Around twenty?" Hellboy said cautiously. He'd done this before but it always went differently.

Dawn scrunched up her face and started hyperventilating. "You mean I've only got six years to live then I've got to do this again?"

"What? No. I mean you stop ageing when you're twenty. You'll live until you get killed again." Hellboy did not like doing this. It wasn't his job. Damn, where was her family. "I think your record is about one hundred and eighty."

She looked at him wide eyed.

"That's when you were building this tower. It kept you focused and out of trouble."

"I built this tower?" Dawn gasped. "How?"

"Well not by yourself or anything." Hellboy almost laughed. "You got degrees in architecture, engineering and other stuff then worked for Wendall Associates learning how to build mega towers." He gestured randomly around him. "There are features that you designed in this building over a hundred years ago that are still considered state of the art."

The door to the suite opened to admit a woman who Dawn thought looked a lot like her mother, only older. She was tall with gray blond hair and wearing an expensive looking business suit. Dawn was immediately across the room hugging the woman.

"Hi, mom." Julie said softly to the young girl clutched to her.

Dawn loosened her grip and looked up at the woman. "Mom?"

Julie nodded. "I'm sure Hellboy has filled you in. Apparently he thinks his duty is to interfere in our family whenever possible."

Dawn squinted then shut her eyes leaning back forward against the woman. "You're Julie?"

"Yes, I'm Julie Maria Sumpter-Harrington. Your youngest daughter." Julie looked up at Hellboy. "Thanks for keeping her company, but I'm sure you've got other things to attend to." She didn't even try to keep the chill out of her voice. Having Hellboy give her mother the blunt reality of what was happening was almost as bad as Illyria doing it. Almost.

"I guess I knew when I saw you." Dawn said to Julie as Hellboy approached.

Hellboy leaned in over Dawn and kissed Julie. He grinned as the woman blushed. "You're late, Spit Fire. She needs her family." With that he was out the door.

With a questioning look from Dawn Julie said. "I had a crush on him a long time ago."

"So you're mean to him because he's an ex and not because he's a demon?"

"Ah, can we talk about something else." Julie took Dawn's hand and led her to the couch. "We have a lot to discuss."

**To be continued...**

"- - 00 - - "

(This chapter is a crossover with Hellboy. To know how I introduced Hellboy to the Buffyverse, see my story 'Bump In The Night')


	4. Mother and daughter

**Reset  
"Mother and daughter"  
by OldScout**

A petite young woman with wavy long brown hair breezed through the Summers Building main concourse. The building employees who knew her in passing waved in greeting as she smiled and greeted the few she came close enough to. She carried an old style leather brief case that clashed with the soft beige cotton dress she wore; another old fashion people were used to seeing on her. The Vid panel for the WCI express grav lift elevator recognized the woman's hand print and allowed her access. The second the woman's bio was recognized warnings starting blinking at security stations throughout the Council's upper floors.

Julie stood in the doorway to her mother's office suite watching her write in her journal. This was the ritual. Somehow it had been discovered a long time ago that when she came back, or as one of the earlier Scoobies had coined it 'Reset', it helped her find and sort the centuries of memories jumbled into her head. For the past two weeks that is all she did, write in her journals and wander the hallways of the building. Julie frowned. Where did she get that thing she called a skateboard?

The office was spectacular. It was appointed with the best antique wood furniture they could find. The computer system was second to none but that didn't seem to interest Dawn. She sat on the floor at the glass topped coffee table writing in spiral bound paper notebooks. Since nobody wrote on paper like this anymore they had to have these notebooks specially made. Julie watched the fine pink feathers Dawn had glued to the top of her pen flutter back and fourth as she wrote.

"Um, ma…" Julie caught herself. This fourteen year old incarnation of her mother was not really comfortable being called 'mom'. Dawn looked up. "Do you have a minute?"

Dawn bounced to her feet. She was wearing the same pink t-shirt and blue jeans she'd been wearing three weeks ago when she'd dropped into the lagoon. "Hi Julie." Dawn ran across the room slid to stop. Her sock covered feet sliding across the hardwood floor. She hugged the woman like a daughter would hug her mother. "Did you see my last journal?"

Julie held up the scroll she was holding. "That's kind of why I'm here."

"Isn't it cool?" Dawn skipped back across the room and sat back down on the floor then patted the sofa behind her. "Come on sit down. I need some company."

"About this scroll." Julie put the scroll down on the table in front of Dawn as she sat primly on the edge of the leather couch.

"What about it? Did I get something wrong?" Dawn unrolled the papyrus scroll and looked at. "I'm pretty sure everything is correct. Except I really wasn't sure how to spell 'stupid, arrogant immortal'."

"You see, Dawn, the point to these journals is not only to help you remember but to help the archive keep your history accurate." Julie said carefully trying not to show her frustration.

"I know that." Dawn said as she looked at the fancy hieroglyphics she'd spent so long working on.

"Then why did you do this in hieroglyphics?" She thought she saw the corner of Dawn's mouth twitch in a grin.

"Nobody said I shouldn't."

Julie looked over Dawn's shoulder. "Is that your next journal?" At least being in the spiral bound notebook, she was sure it wasn't more hieroglyphics. But she realized in wasn't English either. "Ah, what language is that?"

"Ah, mostly Aramaic." Dawn said softly. "With a little…"

"A little what else?"

"Klingon." Dawn mumbled.

"What is Klingon?"

"It's a language created for a pretend race of aliens from some twentieth century movies." Dawn stated. Seeing the look on Julie's face she said. "Do you know how tough it was finding all the right reference material and then getting the syntax to work properly with Aramaic?"

"You really don't want people reading your journals. Do you?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Dawn turned back to her journal before Julie could see her trying to suppress a grin.

The small holo-vid embedded in the coffee table activated displaying the face of the receptionist, Syng. "Excuse me, Ms. Sumpter."

"Syng, I'm using Summers for now." Dawn said to the receptionist. She didn't bother trying to mask her annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am,..Miss Summers." The young woman replied. "I ah, just thought you might want to know that Miss Burkle is on her way up."

At the confused look on Dawn's face Julie leaned over. "Thank you, Syng." She turned off the viewer. "Do you remember Miss Burkle?"

"Fred right?" Dawn was trying to search her memory. She looked at Julie. "Darn Swiss cheese memory. What am I missing?"

"She's Illyria."

Dawn frowned. "Blue chick, bad hair, delusions of godhood."

"That's her." Julie had mixed emotions about Illyria. The demon, with a strange relationship with her mother had been in and out of their lives since she was a child. On one hand, she'd been an honest and even trusted friend to her mother. On the other hand she was caustic, arrogant, outspoken and honest. Brutally honest. When she was wearing her Burkle persona she was warm, sweet and funny. The problem was that anybody who knew her true nature knew Burkle was a lie.

"I remember." Dawn's stomach clenched at the thought of seeing Illyria. The former god king was even more of a reminder of her original life than Hellboy was. She really didn't remember the details, just emotions and the connections to her family. Memories which were still close like they happened just last week, because for her, they did.

During the several minutes it took the grav lift to reach the executive offices Illyria allowed the shell's persona to slip slightly. Her hair kinked up and started to show a glimmer of blue while the reddish color faded from her lips. This had been one of the longest trips she'd taken and the Burkle persona had definitely worn out its welcome. Out of courtesy to the vermin who toiled away their meaningless existences in this hideous monstrosity Oriens was so proud of Illyria had agreed to maintain the basic Burkle persona when in the public areas.

"Oriens." Illyria stated as she entered the office. "I see you have finally reconstituted your shell."

Dawn looked up from her position on the floor leaning on Julie's lap. The woman standing in her doorway sent a chill up her back. She wore an attractive beige dress, comfortable open toe shoes and was carrying an old leather brief case. The problem was with her rough blue tinge hair and cold, hard eyes; she did not look like somebody who would choose the feminine outfit she wore. Finally Dawn said the only thing she could think of. "Don't call me that."

"Illyria," Julie said as she stroked Dawn's hair trying to calm her. "Now is not the time."

Illyria looked at the most recent spawn. They always seemed to think they were important. Each in their own time had stood up and tried to lift themselves above the common rodent infesting this and now so many other planets. But the shell Oriens wore was human and so far so were all the offspring it had disgorged. She ignored its bleating and continued to speak to Oriens. "If you do not stop allowing your shell to be butchered you will never gain enough power to access the key."

"Like I did it on purpose." Dawn heaved trying not to remember the attack she had recently recalled and written in the scroll. Creating the scroll had worked, the almost daily nightmares she'd been having had stopped since she put the incident on paper.

"You did not take ample precautions." Illyria stated. She looked at the twisted stick that was Dawn's Wizarding wand. It was securely locked in its glass display case. "There is a purpose for the wand."

Dawn held her palm out toward Illyria. "Whatever. It's a bit late for this conversation." She motioned to the uncharacteristic briefcase. "What's in the case?"

"Property I have retrieved." Illyria opened the case and dumped its contents on to the table. A single object wrapped in layers of plastic clomped onto the glass table. Illyria dropped the case to the floor.

Dawn reached out and took a loose edge of the plastic and pulled. The wrapping quickly unwound and the contents clanked on to the table. It was Dawn's knife, 'Mr. Sharpie.' The weapon was coved in blood; blood so thick that when it had dried it left ridges of blood around the handle outlining the fingers that had been gripping it.

"The maggot went off world." Illyria stated. "It took me longer to find it then I had anticipated." She seemed to ponder something. "I had been curious if its quickening would be released if I removed its head from its body without severing its spinal cord…."

"Enough." Julie said as she eased Dawn away so she could stand up. It was enough having a teenager to raise again but she did not need this creature coming in so soon and stirring things up. "Illyria, thank you for retrieving the knife and, ah, taking care of the immortal but Dawn is not quite ready to deal with your presence right now."

"That is true." Illyria stated. "An emotional, pubescent child can be irritating and difficult to tolerate." She looked at Dawn. "You will know where to find me when your shell has out grown this annoying faze." Illyria turned and head out of the office.

As soon had Illyria turned, Dawn stood up and grabbed a heavy crystal ball paper weight she'd been using and threw it at the god king. The paper weight bounced off Illyria's head causing the demon to stop in mid step. She changed as she turned finally showing her true nature, leather body suit and all. Dawn stood, arms crossed in front of her, daring Illyria to do something.

After all these centuries, Illyria knew how to push Dawn's buttons. Julie just stared at them. She'd seen them clash before, usually just argue. They fought like sisters but sometimes it got bad. The journals told of a time when Dawn was quite old and was an extremely powerful Wizarding witch. They had started fighting and destroyed the Cleveland Watcher's headquarters.

Without a word, Illyria turned again and left the office

"Can you get that cleaned up?" Dawn asked pointing at her knife.

"I'm sorry about Illyria." Julie said as she rolled the knife back in its plastic. "You can never predict what she's going to say except that it will be inappropriate."

"I know." Dawn said as she sat back down to her journal. She looked at one of the other objects she had moved to the table. It was her and Xander's fortieth anniversary portrait, the picture she'd seen her first day here.

"Would you like me to activate it?"

"Activate it?" Dawn looked at the picture.

"Yes, it's a wizarding photo. It moves."

"Cool."

Julie smiled and produced her wizarding wand. She touched the picture with the wand to activate it. "I'll leave you alone for a bit." She looked at a clock, it was twelve thirty. "Will you join me for lunch at one?" They had to start figuring out what Dawn would do; go to school, home school here or perhaps move somewhere and start a new life away from the weird for awhile.

Dawn watched Julie leave than turned to the picture. Old versions of her and Xander were smiling and waving at the camera. Eventually old Dawn touched a necklace she was wearing and she changed into young adult Dawn. Young adult Dawn smiled saucily than stepped in front of Xander, sat on his lap and leaned in and kissed him. As they kissed, Xanders's hand moved from her waist up her side. Dawn realized where the hand was going. "Oh!" she blushed and smiled at the thought just as Xander's hand was about to reach its destination the Dawn in the picture pointed at the camera. The picture went blank for a second then reset to the portrait of old Dawn standing behind old Xander, the two waving at the camera.

**--Finis--.**


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